Adams County President Judge Kuhn recognized

County Commissioner Randy Phiel, left, and Judge John Kuhn at the Adams County Commissioner's meeting. (SUBMITTED)

The historic courtroom was packed Wednesday morning as crowd members took to their seats. Shoulder to shoulder, people squeezed into the long wooden benches and whispered among themselves, filling the room with a noisy, excited energy.

They had all come for one reason - to hear Adams County Judge John Kuhn speak.

Only this time, Kuhn did not deliver any decisions or discuss any cases. Instead, he talked about himself.

"It is very humbling to me to be in this position, to be recognized today," Kuhn said. "I am humbled to have this many people here that are not only my professional colleagues, but my friends."

Kuhn was honored at the Adams County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday for his 10 years of service as President Judge of the Adams County Court of Common Pleas. The commissioners thanked him for his "unwavering leadership" throughout his tenure, as well as his embrace of the court's new visioning and succession initiative.

The Adams County Board of Judges, of which Kuhn is a member, created a new succession plan in June that would better facilitate smooth leadership transitions. Under the plan, Kuhn decided that he would step down from his leadership role three years before his expected retirement at the end of 2015. This would allow Kuhn to mentor his successor throughout the first few years of his new role as president judge.

On Jan. 1, Kuhn stepped down as president judge and Judge Michael George assumed the position.

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George has been a judge for 11 years, served as Adams County's district attorney, and as a defense attorney before that, said court administrator Don Fennimore when George was first chosen.

Kuhn's decision to step down is both unique and honorable, George said, because in most small counties like Adams, it is extremely rare that a senior judge would ever pass on his position to a less senior judge.

"It is not about personal gain," George said. "It's about maintaining a justice system that best serves the community. Adams County is blessed that it has judges that recognize this higher calling."

Along with Kuhn, Judge Robert Bigham also passed up the president judge position after realizing that his retirement in 2015 would interfere with the smooth transition the judges were looking for.

The succession plan is part of a larger modernization process that the court has undergone over the past few years. Labeled the Assessment and Transformation Project, the process has streamlined the court system and earned the Governor's Award for Local Government.

Kuhn applauded his staff for much of this work and for assisting him and rest of the court system throughout his time as president judge. Commissioner Randy Phiel followed with these sentiments, awarding special thanks to Mary Weigle, Kuhn's administrative assistant for the past 27 years.

It is important to recognize, "her tolerance of some of Judge Kuhn's passions outside the legal arena, including, but not limited to, baseball, the Baltimore Orioles, baseball practice strategies, and bicycle escapades," Phiel said among uproarious laughter from the crowd.

Weigle herself described Kuhn as, "very compassionate and caring, both as a judge and an individual."

"He takes every case seriously and gives every case a lot of attention," Weigle said, "especially with juvenile court, which is very near and dear to his heart."

Kuhn has served as a judge in Adams County since 1986 and is a longtime resident. He is a Gettysburg High School graduate and worked as a lawyer at a private practice in Gettysburg before becoming an Adams County public defender and then judge.

Now that he is no longer President Judge, Kuhn is looking forward to spending more time working with juvenile courts, which is his true passion, Weigle said.

Out of gratitude for Kuhn's passion for the juvenile court system and the community's youth, the commissioners ended the ceremony with one last kind gesture toward Kuhn, naming Jan. 9 Judge John D. Kuhn Appreciation Day.

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